Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-12-15

countries viii guy buelf DfeduStuHS
where they can get them cheapest, and
the charging of the home market for
the American farmer being checked, he
would search in vain for one of the
same value. His foreign sales are al
ready checked by the great competi-
| ton abroad. There never was time
when the increase of a large home
market was so valuable to him. The
best proof is that the farmers are pros
porous in proportion to the nearness of
manufacturing centers, and a protec-
tive tariff tends to spread manufactures.
| La Ohio and Indiana, for instance,
| though not classed as manufacturing
states, and the annual value of fabrics
is larger than the annual value of the
agricultural products.
| "Those holding the Presidents views
are always quoting the great prosper
ity of the country under the tariff Of
| 1876. That tariff did not involve the
one destructive point recommended by
the Overwhelmingly, the retaining OF
| direct internal taxes in order to abolish
indirect taxes levied on foreign fabrics.
But the country had peculiar advant-
ages under it by the Crimean war in
volving England. France and Russia,
and largely impairing their trade.
''All these incidents-or accidents, if
YOU choose were immensely stimulat-
| ing to trade in the United States. re-
| gardless of the nature of our tariff. But
mark the end of this European expe-
rience with the tariff of 1916. which for
a time gave an illusory and deceptive
show OF prosperity. It's enactment was
Immediately followed by the Mexican
war; then in 1848 by the great convul-
sions of Europe; then in 1S49 and sue
| cedng years by the enormous gold yield
inCalifornia. The powers made peace in
1856, and at the same time the output
of gold in California fell off. Imme-
diately the financial panic of 1857 came
upon the country with disastrous force.
| Though we had in these years mined
vast amount of gold in California,
every bank in New York was compelled
to suspend specie payment -Four hun
dred millions in gold had been carried
out of the country in eight years to pay
for foreign goods that should have been
manufactured at home, and we had
years of depression and distress as an
atonement for our folly.
sit is remarkable that President Polk
recommended the tariff of 1916 on pre-
cisely the same ground that President
! Cleveland recommends similar enact
ment now-namely, the surplus in the
treasury was menacing the prosperity
| of the country. History is repeating
itself. By the way" Mr.. Blaine added
after a moments reflection. sit is worth
notice that Mr. Polk insisted on empty
ing the treasury by free trade tariff,
| then Immediately rushed the country in
to debt by borrowing $3.50, 100000 for
| the Mexican war. trust nothing may
occur to repeat 50 disastrous sequel
to the policy recommended by Presi-
dent Cleveland. But the uniform fate
has been for fifty years past that the
| Democratic party when it goes out OF
power always leaves an empty treasury
and when it returns to power always
finds full treasury.
Il would reduce the national revenues
by prompt repeal of the tobacco tax
and would make here and there some
changes in the tariff, not to reduce pro-
lection, but wisely foster it.
''No great system of revene like our
tariff can operate with efficiency
and equity unless the changes Of trade
be closely watched and the law promptly
adapted to those changes. But would
make no change that should impair the
protective character of the whole body
of the tariff laws. Four years ago, in
the act of 1888, we made changes of the
character | have tried to indicate. Ii
such changes were made, and the forti-
fving of our seacosts thus undertaken at
a very moderate annual outlay, no sur
plus would ba found after that already
accumulated had been disposed of.
The outlay of money on fertilization $,
while doing great service to the country,
would give good work to many men.
As the question of the disposition of
the existing surplus was not discussed in
the Presidents message, Mr.. Blaine did
not offer any suggestions on that point
except to indorse Mr.. Fred Grants re-
mark that a surplus is always easier to
handle than a deficit.
1t is important to increase our ex
port trade but it is vastly more i'm
portant not to lose our own great m5r
ket for our own people in the vain
effort to reach the impossible. 1t is
not our foreign trade that has caused
the wonderful growth and expansion Of
the republic IL is the vast domestic
trade between thirty-eigut states and
eight Territories with population Of,
perhaps, 81 600, 900, to-day. Fbe Whole
amount of our export and import trade
together never,I think, reached $1,000,
000, 900 any one year.
Our internal home trade on 139. 600
miles of railway, along 10000 miles Of
ocean coast over the five great lakes
and along 10000 miles of navigable
rivers. reaches The enormous annual
aggregate of more than $40, 600, 900. 900
ana perhaps this year $50, 900, 900, 900
Il is. into this ilhmitabe trade, even
now il its infancy, and destined to at
tain a magnitude not dreamed of TWEEN
ty years ago, that Europeans are slrug-
Cling To enter. II is the heritage OF
the American people, Of their children
and OF their children's children. It
gives an absolutely free trade
over territory nearly as large as all
Europe land profit all our own The
genuine tree trader appears unab'e to
see or comprehend that this conlluen-
tai trade, not our exchanges with Eu-
rope, is the great source of our prosper
ity. Presiden. Cleveland now plainly
proposes policy that viii admit
Europe to 4 share of this trade. | am
in favor of extending our foreign trade
in all practicable aud advantageous
ways, but not on the principle OF the
free traders, by which we shall be con-
stautly exchanging dollar for dime.
1T is impossible TO tell how the Pres
ident's message will be received in the
South Truth has been so long OBJ
scured by certain local questions of
unreasonable prejudice that nobody can
hope for industrial enlightenment among
their leaders just yet but in my view
the South above all sections of the Union
needs protective tariff The two Vir-
ginias, North Carolina, Kentucky. Mis-
souri,. Tennessee. Alabama and Georgia
have enormous resources and facilities
for developing and handling manu-
features, but can not do anything with
out protection. Even progress so vast
as some of those states made, will be
checked if the Presidents message is
enacted into law Their senators and
} Representatives can prevent it, but they
} are so used to following anything labeled
Democratic very probably they will fol-
low the President and blight the pro-
gross already made. By the time some
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